Hands on Activity 1
PAPERCOPTERS
Objectives:
1. To explore and investigate air resistance as a type
of friction that slows down or speed speeds up an
object that falls.
Introduction:
Demonstrate how dropping different objects of
different size and weight fall to the ground, e.g. a
rubber, a book, a pen, a ruler, scissors, etc.
Now take two pieces of A4 paper. Crumple up one piece
of paper into a ball. Before dropping the crumpled piece
of paper and the other sheet of paper at the same time,
ask the children to predict how the two pieces of paper
will fall. Remind them that both are the same size and
weight but one is crumpled up into a ball and the other is
not.
After you have dropped them, ask them why they think
the two pieces of paper did not reach the ground at the
same time.
Background
Information:
1.
Objects fall to the ground because they are being pulled
by the force of gravity. The rate at which they fall does
not depend on the size, as demonstrated earlier when
different sized objects were at the same time. The rate
at which they fall depends on the shape of the object and
the resistance it offers the air as they drop. This is seen
by dropping a sheet of paper and a crumpled piece of
paper. The normal sheet of paper has a surface that
offers more air resistance to make it fall slower.
The wings of the papercopter provide enough air
resistance to make it drop slowly. In order for objects to
remain in the air without falling, a great force is needed to
keep them suspended.
Fair testing:
Variables are things that can change in an experiment. A
fair test is one in which only one thing (variable) is
changed. An independent variable is the thing that is
changed. The factors that are kept the same are called
the control variables.
Example: Which parachute offers most air resistance?
Independent variable: materials: plastic, paper, card, etc.
Control variables: parachutes of same size, dropped from
the same height, dropped at the same time.
Materials you will need:
1. Papercopter template
2. Scissors
3. Paper clips
4. Stopwatch
Procedure:
1. First, cut out the template.
2. Starting at the top of the wider part, cut down
through the middle, following the line, to create
wings.
3. Fold the wings down in opposite directions from one
another.
4. Attach a paper clip at the bottom of the strip of
paper.
5. Before dropping the papercopter, ask the children to
predict what will happen when they drop it. Will it
fall? Will it spin? Will it drop to the ground?
6. Hold the papercopter with the wings facing up and the
part with the paper clip pointing down.
7. Drop the papercopter from an elevated place and
watch it spin to the ground.
8. After seeing what happens, ask them to explain why?
9. With a stopwatch, ask them to record how long it
takes to drop to the ground.
PAPERCOPTERS 2
Objectives:
To explore and compare how changing variables in an
investigation affects air resistance of papercopters.
To plan and carry out a fair test.
Introduction:
1. Explain that they are going to design their own
experiment by changing a variable that may affect
how fast the papercopter drops to the ground.
2. Brainstorm the variables they can change to test:
e.g.
• Length of the wings
• Length of the base
• Width of the wings
• Width of the base
• Size
• Type of paper
• Number of paper clips
3. Tell them to make the papercopter according to the
variable they have decided to change.
4. Design a chart to record their results.
5. Carry out the experiment and record their results.
6. Discuss the results.
7. Ask them what their conclusions are.
Recording the experiment:
(Possible chart to record results. Students may
design their own.)
First
Second Third
Average
drop
Drop
drop
drop
Control
papercopter
papercopter 2
(changed
variable)
Conclusion:
_____________ papercopter took the longest to reach
the ground, therefore offers greater air resistance.